Feature -- by Mark Sproxton

Reaching carefully to grab a box on one of the stocked-full top shelves, the pharmacy worker turns and is greeted with a warm "hello." The friendly, familiar face of a grey-haired grandmother on the other side of the counter also flashes a toothy smile. The pharmacy worker returns the friendly greeting.

Shaeheen Hasham enjoys the steady contact with people at the pharmacy counter.

"It's a cool environment," explains Shaeheen Hasham, a pharmacy technician who has worked at the Whitehorn Safeway pharmacy for about two-and-a-half years. "(Working with) the customers for over two years, they're happy to see you. You get to know their families and kids. It's fun to work in that environment."

That opportunity for frequent interaction provides some of the most enjoyable moments for the graduate of the SAIT (Southern Alberta Institute of Technology) pharmacy assistant program. "I love what I do because I'm such a people-person and you're constantly busy." One of her favourite duties is helping train people how to use diabetes meters. (Blood glucose meters help those with diabetes keep track of their blood sugar levels.)

While interaction with customers is almost non-stop, Hasham has far more on her plate than taking prescription orders for customers. She must also keep track of inventory, count pills for the pharmacist, enter orders into the computer system and deal with billing the customer and his or her health care plan as well, called third-party billing.

Working shifts that include weekends and evenings, Hasham thoroughly enjoys the work she fell into on a hunch. "I'd been going to the same pharmacy for years and it seemed interesting," she said. She enrolled in SAIT's first pharmacy assistant program, graduated and began work shortly thereafter as a technician. Safeway calls its pharmacy assistants and pharmacy technicians by the same name: technician. Some other retail locations, and some hospitals, separate the titles keeping with assistant and technician.

With two-and-a-half years experience behind her, as much as she enjoys working with the public, she knows that can have its down-side too. "What I don't like is people think we're cashiers. When people come into the pharmacy they're sick and grumpy. In retail, the customer's always right. You have to be able to overcome that, to have thick skin as they say." The work experience has also allowed her to adjust to the physical demands of the job. "When I first started I couldn't stand for eight hours," she laughed. "Now, it's whatever...."

Working in a pharmacy has allowed Hasham to gain insight into other, related career opportunities. In the fall she's considering writing the certification exam offered by the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board of Alberta, and after that, who knows? "I'll see if I want to be a pharmacist," she said.